Runebearers usually went to Hieron to kneel before one of the Gods, choosing their Rune Path to follow, but as Xenos's Luck Rune didn't have a preestablished Path, one might argue that his presence there was unnecessary... if they were to ignore the law of the stamp.
But no, Xenos wanted to explore the place and see just what Rune Paths were available.
After all, that'd give him an idea if his transmigration occurred before or after the game he knew began, allowing him to better plan his Path forward.
Besides, he wasn't exactly against kneeling to one of the Gods there, for kneeling to any of them, or at least their Divine Murals, would give him something of a Blessing.
A Trait that would reshape his very Soul, adding an extra Soul Glyph in his system tab.
It wasn't as good a Blessing a Runebearer would get later on in the Divine Hierarchy—this realm's ranking system—but it was a decent passive, greatly helping one's Root Rune.
A Runebearer of Fire, for example, would kneel before Hephaestus and gain a Fire Resistance Trait, or something similar, establishing themselves as a follower of His Rune Path.
Of course, Xenos wouldn't do so if it meant that he'd be forever bound to said God, as being bound to Them killed any chance of him actually accomplishing his quest.
So naturally, his contract, or rather his 'kneeling' would have a few... conditions etched into it, careful wording that would let him take the Blessing without ever giving Them his 'leash.'
He already had enough of that.
The road stretched on for hours, the lamps glowing faintly against the thinning night, until finally, the third hill he walked on curved down and the town came into full view.
From afar, it looked peaceful: stone walls, tiled roofs, torches burning bright at the gate, and almost no night activity.
Close up, though? The place was alive, its merchants seemingly preparing for the next day as their horses clopped along cobblestones, their wagons carrying bread, amphoras, and Gods-knew-what from and to various places, while vendors shouted about cheap wine for the drunkards still prowling about, and other such stalls did the same.
Xenos slowed at the outskirts, past the guards, leaning on his rucksack, smiling like a tourist who didn't belong here, which, to be fair, he didn't.
'A classic starter town, huh?'
Nobody even looked in his direction.
A tall, lanky stranger with a hidden face—wearing all dark?
Yeah, interacting with him was a recipe for disaster.
The guards were the first to act as if he wasn't even there, and though drunk, the prowling dumbasses were capable of knowing that much as well.
It was kind of refreshing, honestly; no longer being the center of attention, just facing one sweaty guy who was too scared to call him an idiot for standing in the middle of the street.
'Too bad this disguise would've only had people call the police on Earth.'
Xenos waved the drunkard off and wandered, strolling down the marketplace.
One of the first things he saw was bronze jewelry glinting under awnings and barely clothed women underneath, gesturing for him to come in.
'Girls braver than the guards.'
Chuckling at that, Xenos walked past them and a drunk bard who was singing off-key about the God Dionysus's… something.
Yeah, he didn't bother catching the rest.
A few guards leaned on their spears outside a bathhouse, arguing over who had the worst wife.
He passed them, almost absorbed into their conversation, causing him to 'almost' trip over a stray goat chewing some sort of parchment.
A homeless guy catching his stutter laughed, Xenos laughed back, and the goat ignored them both.
'Yeah.'
He grinned.
'Definitely a starter town.'
By the time he hit the central plaza, he was convinced of two things.
One: the town was bigger than he thought.
Two: the people here really liked their temples.
Barely standing stone statues of Gods were nearly in every corner or street, and not far from them was always a structure of the Divine.
Yet, there was one temple that easily dwarfed them all.
The local Hieron station.
Actually, no, it wasn't a temple, more like a fortress wearing a temple's clothes.
White stone columns held up the front, each etched with Arcane that shimmered faintly under torchlight, while a massive bronze gate yawned open, the entrance guarded by armored Hierophants with plumes in their helmets.
These were official officers working under Hieron and the Houses of Gods.
Above, carved into the stone, was a sigil of three interlocking circles of chains.
...The Three Starta are forever locked in tandem.
This building didn't belong in this town; too structurally advanced and out of place.
It reminded him of how corporations back home built their warehouses in the middle of, or directly next to, slums, making it quite a blinding contrast.
'It's fancier seeing it like this; even the VR version didn't do it justice.'
Going in, he didn't bother with the reception hall, ignoring the row of clerks sitting behind polished desks, their quills scratching, their long robes whispering with every move.
Some of them glanced up, frowning at him, but that was it; none of them bothered to warn him. No one with a sane mind would cause trouble in a Hieron Station.
Yeah, no one with a sane mind would.
"Sir!"
Yet such a thought didn't seem to pass this newbie, who held his wrist just as he stepped through.
"You cannot enter the Hall of Murals without revealing yourself to the—"
"Alright."
Xenos shook her off.
"Thanks for the permission."
The clerk froze, sputtering.
"W-W-Wha—you—"
By the time she tried again, Xenos was already halfway down the hall.
'...Damn.'
The chamber was huge, and murals covered every wall.
From floor to ceiling, painted in strokes of gold, black, and crimson.
Each one was alive, shimmering faintly with Divinity, depicting Gods in all their glory.
'Alright, who've we got… Hebe, Goddess of Youth. Some spooky lantern lady? Ah, Hecate, her build was whack. Nemesis—ohhh, karma queen, that one was decent.'
He scanned them all, searching for an interesting 'build.'
'As expected, Tyche isn't here, huh? Well, better for me; I can't have Runebearers compete on Luck Runes—there's barely any in the first place. And that also explains why that Shepherd was more stunned with me than the Sound kid.'
He strolled along, finger flicking from one painted face to the next.
'Morpheus… annoying to fight.'
'Phobos, overpowered as all Hel—Tartaros.'
'Eos, no. Nike... victory personified, literally.'
He kept going, listing the pantheon, confirming what he already knew.
Most were Lower Gods, ones his old world barely, if ever, remembered.
It wasn't much different from the Hieron's he was used to, but the lack of certain Gods told him that this was before the game began, as those Rune Paths were unlocked by players, your usual "hidden class."
But then, he suddenly stopped, surprise actually appearing on his face.
What he saw was more shocking than this realm flipping over.
Above a more... chaotic Divine Mural, peeked a Goddess.
An actual GODDESS.
From the wall, he saw Her clearly.
A pale woman, so beautiful with inky black hair, ruby red eyes, and a soft smile, holding an apple etched with the Rune of Calamity.
The plaque beneath read:
{Eris}
{Goddess of Strife}
Yeah...
That was a Goddess...
And She was looking at him.
"What?"